Fw: My explant of January 14, 2002 is over--but my problems are not!CAN YOU HELP ANSWER MY QUESTIONS?

[Guest guest]

----- Original Message -----

From: " Robb (by way of ilena rose) " <robbclan@...>

<Recipient List Suppressed:;>

Sent: Thursday, February 07, 2002 6:40 PM

Subject: My explant of January 14, 2002 is over--but my problems are not!CAN

YOU HELP ANSWER MY QUESTIONS?

> To Everyone by way of Ilena

>

> Dear Ladies,

>

> I am sorry it has taken me so long to post this email. There are so many

> of you I would like to thank personally as you have been so very helpful.

> So thank you from the bottom of my heart you all know who you are.

>

> My explant went well on January 14. Both implants were ruptured and there

> was silicone outside the outer membrane of the capsules as well. I have a

> copy of the operative, and the pathology reports, and to me they sound

> worse then I expected.

>

> It has now been a little over 3 weeks since my explant and I am doing fine

> mentally and emotionally. I did feel remarkably better for the first two

> weeks. My breast lift is healing and looking and feeling a little better

> each day.

>

> However, my pain on my left side has returned. Don t know

> why, but I understand this has happened to many of you. In fact, my

> shoulder and hip are worse, and now my head on my left side to the top of

> my ear has also been aching too.

>

> I am hoping that I still will get better. I have not given up! I hope I

> can get some answers and maybe help others that are searching too.

>

>

>

> Well, I finally wrote my story it would have been too long to write

> absolutely everything, but it s a good summary.

>

>

>

> After you have read my story and questions, and you know of a good lawyer,

> or can answer any of my questions, please contact me.

>

> Thank you again!

>

> Love, & ..

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> MY STORY

>

>

>

> In 1984, I was 34, a mother of 2, happily married for 14 years when I

> decided to get breast implants. There were no problems, if you had the

> money, you could get them. I had always wanted to have larger breasts,

> just to feel more feminine. I remember being 10 years old and stuffing my

> bra. I thought I knew how it felt to have a mastectomy as I never had any

> breast myself. I felt these ladies were the only people who could

possible

> know how I felt. So, I went to work part-time and saved my money, after

> all I thought I was through having children and I deserved to do something

> for myself. I wanted this more then anything. The surgery took place on

> November 15, 1984. It was very painful and to this day, I still describe

> the whole surgery experience, to feeling like a truck running over my

> chest . I never looked forward to any such surgery again, but I was

> basically happy with the results. The only exception was about 2 months

> after implantation; my right implant had become hard and encapsulated. My

> plastic surgeon, without warning, literally put all his weight on my right

> breast and popped the scar tissue. I saw stars! I never complained

again,

> and luckily I didn t need to. Not many people knew I had the surgery and

I

> wasn t one to wear clothing that revealed my breast. I just felt normal,

> feminine and just prettier. I registered with both the MDL and Dow

> settlements during the time of the big controversy, but any doctor I went

> to, told me not to worry, so I didn t! If something isn t broke, don t

> fix it! I registered just to be safe.

>

> Now I am now 51, and have been happily married almost 32 years. But the

> happiness I once felt, by having breast implants is now over. I had them

> removed " enbloc " on 1/14/02, by recommended Dr. Karl B. Hiatt in Mesa,

> Arizona. I did not get them replaced. Up until this past November, I

> thought I would have my implants forever as they had become a part of me.

I

> couldn t really remember being a 34A. I did think that maybe one day I

> would get them replaced, when the perfect implant was available. I heard

> many times that saline was not as natural feeling, so I was waiting. I

> waited too long! I developed health problems; I feel my health problems

> are related to the leaking of my silicone breast implants. I was afraid

to

> get a replacement, as the capsules are still made of silicone, and my

> immune system might reject the silicone capsule. I don t worry about my

> breast size anymore, as my time is taken up by trying to find ways to feel

> better, and to regain my health. I had my Surgitek silicone breast

> implants made by Bristol-Myer, a total of 17 years. This is not the way I

> thought things would turn out, as I had always been told the whole

silicone

> issue was pretty much nothing to worry about.

>

> . So what happened? I never have had any serious health

> problems, other than being hypothyroid. But, a couple of years ago, I

> started to suffer with chronic pain in my left hip, which gradually led to

> more left sided pain and weakness; pain in my left shoulder and back, and

> also vision and cognitive problems. Oral medication, cortisone

injections,

> nor physical therapy seemed to help this chronic constant pain I was

having

> on my left side. The pain would even be worse during my sleeping hours as

> I could no longer sleep on my left side. Over numerous visits to my

> doctor, I had been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and CFS. I had no idea at

> the time that my health problems could be related to my breast implants.

>

> Then, In September of 2001, I was doing research on Fibromyalgia. I found

> the following articles that were linking leaking silicone breast

implants

> to Fibromyalgia. These articles can be read at:

>

>

>

> http://www.jrheum.com/abstracts/abstracts01/996.html and

>

>

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article & node=health & conten

tId=

> A25418-2001Apr30

>

> What if my implants were ruptured? Maybe my pain was being caused from

> silicone leaking outside of the capsule. Could the mammogram of March

2000,

> nearly 1 1/2 - 2 years ago have caused a rupture? The date s correlated

> with my onset of problems. I remember the technician was extremely rough

> compared to all the others I have had over the years and they did find the

> implant was herniated. I told by regular doctor that I had read this

> report and asked him if I should get an MRI? He agreed that perhaps I

> needed to find out if my problems were related to my implants. He sent me

> to my gynecologist my gynecologist, did not examine me, but listened to

me

> voice my concerns and said he would not send me for an MRI as it was a

> personal issue I need to resolve, and that I need to go back to my regular

> doctor to perhaps see a Plastic Surgeon, that can determine if I need an

> MRI or not. I cried when I got to my car. I went back to by regular

> doctor, who has always listened with concern, and told him what had

> happened. He then referred me to Dr. Hiatt.

>

> I have gone faithfully each year for my annual doctor and gynecological

> visits and I have had a special mammogram every year since 1993, with

extra

> views because of the implants. I have done everything right! My special

> annual mammograms were all normal until March 2000 when they thought an

> implant was ruptured they did a sonogram said it was herniated but there

> was no silicone floating around, and the report that went to my

> gynecologist stated everything was normal. In May of 2001, I had my

latest

> mammogram, and nothing was mentioned of the problems found in the March

> 2000 mammogram. They did not do a sonogram, and I was given a normal

> report once again. My implants however seemed softer to me, especially on

> the right, and the right also appeared smaller. Once I saw the PS, my

> breast explant was scheduled. I did not have an MRI. As it turns out

both

> implants were ruptured, and is documented on the operative and pathology

> reports. I also have pictures that were taken during my explant surgery

> and I had the implants returned to me.

>

>

>

> I still hope to have many things answered if anyone has the answers to my

> questions below, please contact me!

>

>

>

> I know I am entitled to the $3,000 for explant, and eligible for the

long

> term benefits until 2010. Does anyone know what happened to the $25,000

> for rupture that Bristol paid through 1996? If they were DOW I would get

> up to $40,000??? (That is if they ever settle). I know my implants were

> filled with Dow gel. Where does this leave me? I feel the $3,000 is fine

> for a normal explant, but this is not my case, there is nothing normal

> about my case. The explant form for the $3,000 states Do not return

this

> form if you are not eligible to participate in or are now rejecting-the

> revised settlement. I guess I am rejecting the revised settlement, aren

t

> I? I am not in good health! It has been just over 3 weeks since my

> implants were removed and my left sided pain, vision and cognitive

problems

> have become worse then ever. When does this end? I go to the

> rheumatologist March 12th and maybe he will be able to figure out a way to

> improve my problems. In the mean time I do not really want to settle for

> just $3,000 when I have so many problems. I really shouldn t, should I?

>

> Can I sue the gynecologist? -- for being negligent and not having me have

> my implants checked? He knew I had older breast implants & I told him my

> breasts burned but that was normal, he said. I informed him I have hip

> pain, I am depressed for no reason, and have cognitive problems. He told

me

> to ask my primary care doctor about the hip pain and I took his advice.

> BUT & . He examines breasts everyday does he take time to read any new

> medical findings that would solve women s problems? Oh that s right,

> there are no problems! It s time to retire, I think! I d like to see

> him off the Best of Phoenix Doctors list! (If I find out that I

cannot

> sue him because he is immune for some reason I will give you his

> name---but I d better wait.) I called his office for advice after I had a

> mammogram and my right implant was herniated shouldn t I have been sent

> for an MRI then? Did anyone care? Does anyone care? Was he concerned at

> all?

>

> How about Bristol? my name and implants have been on record since the

very

> beginning of the lawsuit & many years why hasn t anyone notified me that

> older implants need to be examined in case of rupture? If it is against

> the law to inject silicone directly into a woman s breast, why is it okay

> for a breast mammography center to compress the implants so silicone can

be

> injected into your body? Bristol Myers has to know that older implants

have

> become fragile and a mammogram can rupture the implants!

>

> Can I sue the mammography center? Isn t it their job to identify breast

> problems, not create them? Aren t they responsible in some way??????? I

> believe my implants were ruptured by them. I think I have enough evidence

> to blame them, all of them! Women with implants 10 years old or older

> should not be having mammograms and they should be told to have them

> explanted to preserve their health.

>

> How many women are getting mammograms and their implants are being

ruptured?

>

> How about Dow? It s their gel! They are the creators of the whole mess!

> It wasn t the shell that made me ill; my system handled that for at least

> 10 years, it s the leaking Dow silicone!

>

>

>

> Last, by not least, How about the FDA? CAN I SUE THE FDA? Aren t they

> responsible? They are supposed to protect the public. Aren t they? They

> could have saved all of us from our illnesses.

>

> I have been registered with the MDL & Dow Settlements from the very

> beginning; I feel Bristol Myers, Dow, and the FDA have had access to my

> personal records. If I can be notified by mail with changes in the

> settlement, they very well could notify me as a precaution to see a PS

> have a MRI or warn me about the possibility of rupture during a

> mammogram of older breast implants. Right? Isn t the FDA supposed to

> inform the doctors and the public? Instead, they did the opposite.

> NOTHING!

>

>

>

> Doctors and mammography centers have to be informed, so they can inform

> women (their patients) of the consequences of silicone leaking into their

> body! .

>

>

>

> I DID NOT HAVE ANY HEALTH PROBLEMS RELATED TO MY IMPLANTS THE FIRST 10

YEARS!

>

> SO WHAT GOOD IS A 2 YEAR STUDY???? NONE!

>

> I WAS FINE LONGER THEN THAT!

>

>

>

>

>

> A STUDY HAS TO BE DONE OF WOMEN WITH IMPLANTS 10-20 YEARS! &

>

> AND IF THEY DO

>

> I KNOW THE FDA WOULD HAVE TO WARN DOCTORS AND THE PUBLIC OF THE

>

> DANGERS OF SILICONE BEING INJECTED INTO THE BODY BY LEAKING SILICONE

IMPLANTS!

>

> I AM LIVING PROOF!

>

>

>

> The sad thing is that they already know the answer to this study, and they

> don t know how to disprove it, so they haven t done it.

>

>

>

>

>

> Thanks everyone for taking the time to read my story!

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>